A round-up of notable broker activity this morning from Europe's top-ranked* analysts: ** Barclays remains bullish on the European telecoms, seeing positive revenue and EBITDA growth in 2018 across the ...

LONDON, Dec (Shanghai: 600875.SS - news) 6 (Reuters) - European oil shares, having been for so long the dividend darlings of income funds, are losing their pulling power as investors take another look at the long term future of energy companies focused on fossil fuels. A proposal by the world's largest $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund to ditch its oil and gas shares because of the volatile oil price, has highlighted the risks of being exposed to a sector which analysts say is in long term decline.

BMW AG is targeting another ambitious hike in plug-in hybrid and battery car sales next year to defend its position in the electric-car shift as competitors like Volkswagen AG ready their own battery lineups....

Success in the United States used to come easily for German automaker BMW AG (BMWG.DE), whose sporty sedans in three sizes would be snapped up by affluent consumers. The premium auto business has now become more complicated, as illustrated by the BMW models displayed at this week's Los Angeles auto show, amid a backdrop of heavy spending by luxury auto brands on new models and technology as they make awkward leaps from a predictable past to an uncertain future. On one side of BMW's display stood a prototpye of a large X7 sport utility vehicle, a vehicle that was unthinkable in its lineup a few years ago when the top of the line was still defined as a large sedan.

Success in the United States used to come easily for German automaker BMW AG, whose sporty sedans in three sizes would be snapped up by affluent consumers. The premium auto business has now become more complicated, as illustrated by the BMW models displayed at this week's Los Angeles auto show, amid a backdrop of heavy spending by luxury auto brands on new models and technology as they make awkward leaps from a predictable past to an uncertain future. On one side of BMW's display stood a prototype of a large X7 sport utility vehicle, a vehicle that was unthinkable in its lineup a few years ago when the top of the line was still defined as a large sedan.

Formula E is trying to focus on the present but looking very much to the future as the electric racing series powers up for the start of season four in Hong Kong this weekend. Nissan will replace Renault in 2018/19, when BMW also enter as an official manufacturer team, and Porsche and Mercedes are coming in for 2019/20. Formula E's chief executive Alejandro Agag rejects suggestions however that the city-based series, which currently sees drivers having to change cars mid-race, is biding its time.

Leading carmakers including Volkswagen and Toyota pledged on Wednesday to uphold ethical and socially responsible standards in their purchases of minerals for an expected boom in electric vehicle production. ...

Germany's BMW AG (BMWG.DE) is talking with other automakers "around the world" to try to find partners to lower the cost of electrifying its future Mini small cars, management board member Peter Schwarzenbauer told Reuters. "We are talking to many OEMs (manufacturers) around the world, not only in China, (about) how to electrify smaller cars," Schwarzenbauer said. BMW currently does not build Mini vehicles outside Europe.

Germany's BMW AG is talking with other automakers "around the world" to try to find partners to lower the cost of electrifying its future Mini small cars, management board member Peter Schwarzenbauer told Reuters. "We are talking to many OEMs (manufacturers) around the world, not only in China, (about) how to electrify smaller cars," Schwarzenbauer said. BMW currently does not build Mini vehicles outside Europe.

Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: 0LN9.L - news) has partnered with top carmakers to deploy ultra-fast chargers on Europe's highways, stealing a march on rivals in the race to remove one of the biggest obstacles facing the electric car sector. Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) 's agreement with IONITY - a joint venture between BMW (EUREX: BMWE.EX - news) , Daimler (IOB: 0NXX.IL - news) , Ford and Volkswagen (Xetra: 766400 - news) - will initially bring high-powered docks to 80 highway sites in 2019, it said in a statement. Power giants including France's Engie (LSE: 0LD0.L - news) and Germany's E.ON, as well as niche players such as U.S. start-up ChargePoint, are all building vehicle-charging networks in Europe, but Shell says the IONITY technology is key to addressing the problem of journey distances.

With one eye on accelerating demand for electric vehicles, BMW AG said it’s talking to suppliers of cobalt and other battery materials amid fears that stocks will run short and push already inflated prices ...

British car production rose by an annual 3.5 percent in October as an increase in demand from abroad outweighed a decline in output for domestic buyers, an industry body said on Thursday. Factories churned out 157,056 cars last month, with exports rising 5 percent as domestic demand fell 2.9 percent, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). "It's encouraging to see positive growth in exports this month and a slight increase in overall output," said SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes.

The London-based Formula E electric car racing series will leave Britain if Brexit goes ahead without a deal on tax and employment, Spanish chief executive Alejandro Agag said on Wednesday. Agag, who has lived in London for 15 years, said he was "very worried" by Brexit and Formula E could relocate its business to the European Union in the space of a day if necessary.

The London-based Formula E electric car racing series will leave Britain if Brexit goes ahead without a deal on tax and employment, Spanish chief executive Alejandro Agag said on Wednesday. Agag, who has lived in London for 15 years, said he was "very worried" by Brexit and Formula E could relocate its business to the European Union in the space of a day if necessary. "And a lot of our contracts come from the European Union in terms of sponsorship, so if there is not a deal in terms of tax and employment, we will leave.

Increasing the use of hydrogen in power, transport, heat and industry could deliver around one fifth of the total carbon emissions cuts needed to limit global warming to safe levels by mid-century, a report by the Hydrogen Council said on Monday. To encourage industries to use hydrogen, Toyota and Air Liquide helped set up the Hydrogen Council, a global lobby launched in January this year.

ChargePoint, a U.S. maker and operator of electric vehicle charging stations, said on Thursday it struck a deal with petrol station service group Technical Services Group (TSG), marking the latest step in the group's European expansion efforts. Through the deal, ChargePoint hopes to draw on TSG's strong presence on the continent, where the France-based company provides maintenance services to about 32,000 petrol stations and is also active in their construction. Privately-held TSG, formerly part of Tokheim before it was sold to U.S. industrial conglomerate Dover last year, supplies equipment and services to the fuel distribution industry in Europe and Africa.

European shares pulled back from two-year highs on Tuesday as heavyweight defensive sectors dropped and some earnings reports disappointed, though oil stocks were a bright spot. The pan-European STOXX ...

BMW has lost some of its allure among investors as its rivals Audi and Mercedes overtake it in the profit stakes. BMW reported third quarter profits fell 5.9% to 2.42 billion euros ($2.8 billion) compared with the same period of 2016.

European shares rose on Tuesday buoyed by exuberant markets in New York and Asia with early sluggishness in the euro boosting the export-oriented DAX index to a new record high. A rebound in banks and ...